'I raise $200,000 to study for Harvard, now I dey hang'

BBC News

02-06-2025

Fatou Wurie and her community gada $200,000 so she go fit go school for Harvard University for di United States and now wit only few months bifor she go graduate, evritin don dey hang for di Sierra Leonean student.
To get admission to Havard University for di US na ogbonge tin for Ms Wurie.
Ms Wurie wey be Doctor of Public Health candidate for di university T.H. Chan School of Public Health, wey dey study di impact of uterine fibroids for women for Sierra Leone tok say, "na generational leap, for my family and community".
But wit just few months bifor she go graduate, all dat hard work and sacrifice fit dey at risk.
President Donald Trump administration announce plans to pause US student visa appointments.
E dey part of bigger crackdown by Trump for some of di most elite universities for America wey e sa ydey too liberal.
State department tok-tok pesin Tammy Bruce tell tori pipo about di decision to pause all student visa appointments say, "we dey take am very seriously di process to cross check who dey enta di kontri, and we go continue to dey do dat."
Dis move now don make Ms Wuroe dey fear about how she go fit to travel back go US to defend her thesis and gradudate for November dis year.
Ms Wurie tok say, "e create deep uncertainty, As a doctoral student and founder, my work dey depend on mobility and continuity. Delays no dey only disturb studies, e dey also scata movement". She say she feel like she enta di school "wit di hopes and wisdom of a continent".
Students like Ms Wurie fit extend dia programmes bicos of personal and academic reasons. Wen dat kain tin happun, dem go normally reapply for new I-20 wey be di official document wey confam say you get admission for full time educational programme and proof of sufficient money.
Ms Wurie don already collect her updated I-20 wey mean say she don meet all di institutional and financial requirements to go back to Harvard and complete her degree dis November.
But even wit dis, she no fit apply for visa appointment now. If dem implement dis decision fully and permanently, she tok say, "e go be painful blow. Research and di women wey e dey for no fit dey paused".
Financial and emotional wahala
Ms. Wurie say to gada di money to pay for her Harvard school fees cause am and her family plenti of thousands of dollars.
She say, "I don take loans, work throughout my degree, and pay of plenti tins like visa, housing and healthcare. Even apart from di money, di be emotional palava to constantly navigate immigration systems, and to dey make sure say we remain compliant and honour di laws of di US. Evri delay dey cost pass dollars, e dey cost focus and peace of mind".
And while e dey cost for Ms Wurie, she dey also worry for wetin dis tin go mean for di future of African scholars.
She say, "e dey pain, no be only for me but for wetin e fit mean. Doors to global education alreadi dey narrow for African students. Wen dem close am totally, e tell us say our presence dey conditional."
Foreign students wey wan study for di US dey must to normally schedule interviews for di US embassy for dia home kontri bifor approval.
Ova 1.1 million international students from ova 210 kontris bin dey enrolled for US colleges for di 2023-24 school year, according to Open Doors, wey be organisation wey dey collect data for foreign students.
Ms Wurie tink say US need to put policies down wey "see global education as shared investment" as she add say di US "no dey just receive talent, dem dey grow through am".
Ms Wurie reason say her message to President Trump go be, "your policies fit isolate or inspire. We come to learn, yes but also to lead, to build, to contribute. Make history remember you as pesin wey open doors, not as di pesin wey close dem."